


heal me with your love

by unamusedunenthused (snazzyboi)



Series: ATLA Winter Femslash Week 2021 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: ATLA Winter Femslash Week 2021, Background Relationships, Bato/Hakoda - Freeform, F/F, First Kiss, Getting Together, Healing, Katara figures out her sexuality, Light Angst, Post-War, Pretty cute, frankly I didn't know what to do with Aang so he didn't make it in, neither did Toph, still cute though, zuko/sokka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29144136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snazzyboi/pseuds/unamusedunenthused
Summary: After the war, Katara visits Azula once a month to do healing sessions.  Their relationship grows from there.Day 1: First Kisses
Relationships: Azula & Katara (Avatar), Azula/Katara (Avatar)
Series: ATLA Winter Femslash Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141190
Comments: 7
Kudos: 58





	heal me with your love

**Author's Note:**

> just a little thing for ATLA Winter Femslash Week 2021!! I'll try to do some more over the course of the week.

Walking through the great expanses of the palace in Caldera City made Katara dizzy. Sure, Zuko was the Firelord now and she wasn’t in imminent danger, but the colors, the high ceilings, the reminders of the past regime that they had not cleared out yet, they made her alert, on edge. And of course, she was going there to visit the currently-recovering Princess of the Fire Nation. So that might be contributing to the unease. 

After the Agni Kai, Zuko knew that Azula shouldn’t be locked up in a remote prison, she should be put in a hospital. She needed rehabilitation and people by her side that could help her struggling mind. So, Katara agreed to visit Azula once a month and use her healing as a therapy of sorts. If anything, Zuko probably wanted Azula to have more friends, especially with Ty Lee and Mai on Kyoshi Island.

The medical wing was small and secluded. She knew immediately which room was Azula’s because two armed guards were standing outside of it. They opened the door, one of them coming into the room behind her. Katara didn’t need protecting, but she chose not to address it, it was only her first visit after all.

What surprised Katara most about Azula at that moment was how young she looked. When they fought her all those times, she seemed mature, larger than life. This Azula, lying back on the tan sheets in the dimly-lit room, was just a girl. A girl Katara’s age that experienced things no child should have. Despite this observation, she knew better than to write Azula off; she still tried to kill them on more than one occasion.

Azula’s eyes followed her as she sat in the chair next to the bed, but they betrayed no expression of any kind. Neither had said a word, neither not quite knowing how to go about it. So they continued to look at each other. The silence was as thick as the hot Fire Nation air.

Katara was the first to break it. “Azula,” she said, a simple statement.

Azula tilted her head as if judging the way her name sounded coming out of Katara’s mouth.

“Katara.”

The silence is back, and Katara feels like a larger barrier has been set between them just from uttering each other’s names. Her name, distinctly Water Tribe in its pronunciation, flows from consonant to vowel like the icy ocean water. Azula’s features the sharp interruption of a ‘z’ that hits hard and ignites, a spark falling upon dry wood. She should say something more, but what is there to say? Maybe she could skip right to the healing, no talking.

“I--uh,” Katara begins, “I’m going to use my water bending as a kind of therapy, you know, to uh--”

“Fix me? I know what you’re here for, yes, so get on with it, please.” 

Katara opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out, drawing a blank. So instead of trying to console Azula with empty words, she looks away and begins the session. Azula relaxes immediately as the water hovers all over her body. In only a couple of minutes, Katara sees that she has fallen asleep, making it much easier to continue the process when she doesn’t have to worry about what to say. 

When Katara finishes, Azula is still asleep. She gets up quietly and walks to the door. Before she leaves, though, she takes one last look back at the princess. _She seems so serene when she’s sleeping, beautiful even._

***

It gets easier to visit the city especially since Sokka has been the Ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe for a few months. The only complaint he has told Katara is how hot it is. She has to agree as she makes her way to Azula’s room, having left her furs for airy Fire Nation attire. Since her first time there, she has done four sessions, each time the same amount of deafening silence as the last. Today, however, Azula greets her with a smile.

“Hello, Katara, how are you?”

Katara is taken aback at the friendliness. It is the most unusual thing to see Azula lit up in such a way, however, she can’t say that she doesn’t like it. 

“I-uh-I’m good, hot,” she replies, walking towards Azula slowly.

The other girl giggles, _giggles_ , and says, “Well, this is the fire nation, after all.” Katara nods, sitting down in her spot when Azula reaches out to her. She flinches only a little bit, and the grin on Azula’s face flickers, but she continues the motion of tucking a stray hair back behind Katara’s ear. _Tui and La_ , _what is going on?_ She wonders. Azula’s hand lingers, warm fingertips grazing across Katara’s cheek. Katara tentatively tilts her head into the touch and she closes her eyes. _What is going on?_

Then, as if Azula realized how absurd the entire moment was, her hand jerks away and the smile she had is completely gone, just like every other session. Katara opens her eyes wide, bewildered by the tender touch, even more bewildered that it went away so quickly. A blush is evident on both of their faces telling Katara that what happened was real. That and Azula won’t look her in her eyes anymore. 

She won’t push it, she’ll just do what she came here to do.

***

_Dear Katara,_

_Zuzu told me to write this. He wants to keep me busy so that there’s less time for me to be alone with my brain because we both know that would not be the best thing for me. I didn’t know who else to write to, mainly because everyone hates me and I’m inclined to believe you hate me the least. Though after what I did last time, maybe you do hate me. Maybe you won’t even read this. That’s why I’ll keep this short. I’ve made some okay progress doing the mundane things that supposedly help me. The guards walk me around Zuko’s favorite little pond from our childhood, I make snowflakes out of paper despite the fact that I’ve never actually seen snow, and every once in a while, Uncle Iroh comes by with tea and Pai Sho. I beat him every time because I am a master strategist, a genius even. Anyway, write back if you please, otherwise, I will see you when you come for your visit. Perhaps you could tell me about the snow._

_Sincerely,_

_Azula_

***

_Dear Azula,_

_I don’t hate you. I did, but not because of what happened that day. If I’m being honest, I--_

Katara is suddenly interrupted by her father entering her room. She clutches the letter to her chest quickly, her face heating up. Hakoda sends her a funny glance.

“Katara, something you’re hiding there?”

“Uh, no I just, it’s nothing. It’s nothing.” She scratches the back of her neck. “What, uh, what did you want?” 

“I came to let you know that Bato is about done making dinner if you want any. But,” he says as he steps in and lets the flap fall behind him, “if there’s anything you’d like to talk about, I’m here.” His eyes are expectant.

Katara sighs. “Talking might not be so bad.” Hakoda smiles and sits on her bed which is across from the desk chair she is settled in.

“So, you know how I’ve been visiting Azula to give her healing sessions?” He nods as she says this. “Well, something happened the last time I went.”

Hakoda’s face darkens, the protective father taking center stage. “Something bad? Did she hurt you?”

“No, no of course not. It was something, uh, confusing.” She says immediately. Seemingly settling down, he nods again. “I walked into the room, and she had a big smile on her face, it was very strange. And then she greeted me happily like we’ve been friends for years. When I sat down next to her, I guess some of my hair was in my face so she reached out and tucked it behind my ear. I was so shocked, even more shocking was the fact that she kept her hand there for a moment, on my cheek! Her hand was so warm and it was so tender I just, I just leaned into it and closed my eyes. Then as fast as she put her hand there, she yanked it away and retreated into herself again. No more smiles or giggles, completely deadpan.” Katara pauses to look up.

Hakoda’s face is sympathetic as if he recognizes what is happening.

Katara whispers the next thing because she gets it now. “I don’t know if I liked it because I like Azula or if I liked it because Azula is a pretty girl. I think I like girls.” She gets up and walks into the arms of her father.

“And if you do that’s perfectly okay. You know that I love Bato and I’m sure you know that Sokka has been interested in boys. I love you, Katara.”

“I know you do dad, thanks.”

They sit in a tight embrace for a few beats.

“Finish your letter to Azula then come have dinner with us, okay?”

Katara nods with a small smile.

_If I’m being honest, I wish you would do it again._

***

Azula is nervous. She has never been this nervous in her life, and she has done some very intense things in her minuscule sixteen years of life. It feels like only yesterday that she was in a hospital bed with Katara sitting next to her. Their awkward reunion after the letters replays in her head. 

They had looked at each other for too long, not saying anything like all those times before. Azula broke the silence first asking if Katara meant what she said. Katara said she wouldn’t lie to her. Then they started talking for real. Katara told her about the snow as she asked. Azula told her about all the shenanigans she would get up to when she was young. It wasn’t an automatic romantic relationship, she didn’t expect it to be. She needed a friend first, they both did.

And so Katara came more than once a month. First an extra visit during one of the Fire Nation festivals. Then twice a month, then three times. Before Azula knew it, her year-long stint of only staying in one room was over. Zuko was reluctant, but then he saw the way Katara was smiling at her, the way the two girls embraced, and his reluctance melted away. 

And now today, Katara’s seventeenth birthday. Azula has a bracelet she made for her friend. The second part of the bracelet is the question she plans on asking Katara. _Will you be my girlfriend?_ It floats around her head and makes her heart race. She imagines finally making good on Katara’s request to touch her face again. She hopes that Katara will accept Azula’s lips on her face too.

Zuko, Azula, and Sokka all board the airship that is heading for the Southern Water Tribe. She watches them snuggle up to each other, whispering and laughing and her heart skips a beat because that might be her in just a few short hours.

The ride is shorter than she thought it would be. She is very cold, but she does the heat-regulating exercises Zuko taught her. As she steps off, she is immediately hit by the hug of a person covered in blue and white furs.

“Zula,” the person mutters and she melts into it. Katara.

“Mm hello, snowflake,” she says with a hum. They pull away and Azula is stunned by how gorgeous the girl in front of her looks. Her hair is braided down her back, her signature hair loops hanging in the front with shining silver clips to hold them there, a little bit of makeup highlighting her already wonderful features. Her smile is so bright, blinding Azula like the sun reflecting off the snow. She can’t help the compliment that slips out. “Agni, you are magnificent.”

Katara away bashfully. “Come on, we have a party to attend.”

They eat, they dance, they drink when no one is looking. Before they know it, night has fallen. Katara grabs a whole bottle of some sort of water tribe alcohol and pulls Azula out of the crowded area. They end up on a ridge that overlooks the icy waters. The sounds of music are only faint at this point. Katara takes a sip, scrunching her nose up a little at the taste, and hands it to Azula who does the same. She puts the bottle aside though, opting to instead move closer to Katara so that their hips touched. The other girl doesn’t even question it. They look at each other, silent.

“This staring almost feels like the first time you came to heal me,” Azula says, a small smirk playing on her face. She hopes it covers up some of the nerves

“I was hoping it would be a little more romantic than that,” Katara replies.

“Oh, romantic, huh?” Her smirk must have fallen away to a look of fear because Katara responds quickly.

“Only if you want it to be.”

Azula nods. “I definitely want it to be. I’m just, uh, kinda nervous.” 

Katara grabs her hand. “Don’t be.” The loving gaze that Katara has on her face and the gesture give Azula all the confidence she needs. With her free hand, she caresses Katara’s cold-bitten cheeks. 

“Katara,” she whispers.

“Zula.”

“Katara, I really, _really_ , like you. Would you be my girlfriend?”

Then as Katara smiles, Azula gets to feel the way it spreads across her face. She runs her finger over the small dimple, she grazes her thumb across Katara’s bottom lip. She would do this every day of her life, she realizes, spending every moment mapping out the skin of the girl that changed her life.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Katara says, just as quiet. “Kiss me?”

“It would be rude not to give the birthday girl what she desires,” Azula mutters, leaning in to connect their lips. It is everything she dreamed it would be. Warm and fulfilling. Soft and sweet. Transcendent. They pull apart, both sets of eyes glowing in wonder.

“You really did heal me after all,” Azula says.

“Yeah?” Katara asks, already leaning back in. When Azula responds it gets swallowed into Katara’s kiss. _Yeah._


End file.
